A paedophile was convicted on Wednesday of giving his schoolgirl stepdaughter drink, drugs, cigarettes and money in return for sex.

The sicko, who cannot be named to protect his victim, had pleaded not guilty to 38 charges of sexually assaulting her and 35 charges of having sexual intercourse with her in Co Meath between May 2006 and September 2009.

The woman told Trim Circuit Court the predator began abusing her while she was in primary school and continued until she was 15.

She claimed that much of the abuse, including sexual intercourse, occurred while they were at home on their own but sometimes while her mother or school friends were in the house.

She said he had bought vodka for her and her friends to drink before they went to a junior disco as well as cans of air freshener which she and her friends sniffed to get high.

The sicko also provided beer and vodka for a party she had in the house when she was in 1st or 2nd year at secondary school.

A number of the complainant’s then friends told the court they had seen the defendant buying the drink and aerosols while a former boyfriend told the court he had witnessed the man giving his victim money, cigarettes, condoms and drink.

The complainant also claimed her step father had pierced her nipple a few days after a tattoo parlour had refused to do it as she was too young.

She said the defendant had arranged for other people to give her money on a number of occasions when he was working away from home.

A nun told the court the complainant had confided to her that her step father had been molesting her and that she was afraid of what he might do to her and her mother if she revealed the abuse.

In cross examination, the defendant denied all of these allegations.

He rejected as ‘nonsense’ a suggestion that he had systemically supplied the complainant with money, cigarettes, drink, aerosols or drugs as a reward to keep her quiet and isolate her.

He claimed the accusations were part of a conspiracy planned by his stepdaughter and involving her friends to get rid of him from the family.

Following the conclusion of the evidence the jury of seven women and five men, after a six-day trial, found the defendant guilty on 18 counts of sexual assault between April 2007 and eight of having sexual intercourse with his victim between September 2008 and Sept 2009.